Printer cartridges are typically designed to provide a consumer with a certain number of print copies before the toner or ink is exhausted. The total number of print copies varies depending on the type, quality and density of the image provided by the printer. After all of the toner or ink is exhausted, the printer cartridges are either thrown away or recycled.
An industry has developed that facilitates the recycling of printer cartridges. Typically, a printer cartridge is recycled by a printer cartridge remanufacturer, who receives exhausted printer cartridges and refurbishes them. The refurbishment process entails replacing worn or nonfunctioning parts, refilling the printer cartridge with either toner or ink, and distributing the refurbished printer cartridges into the marketplace.
Toner cartridges are typically designed to fit into one type of laser printer or one family of laser printers. For example, the same toner cartridge may be used in a HP LaserJet Pro 100, HP LaserJet Pro 200, or a HP LaserJet Pro CP1025nw laser printer. As new printer models are introduced, a printer manufacturer may decide to alter physical characteristics of a respective toner cartridge that is used in older printer models. In some cases, the alteration may be an entirely new shape, or the printer manufacturer may only change a minor detail such as an indentation or a protrusion on the toner cartridge.
Additionally, different toner cartridges may be used within the same laser printer. These different toner cartridges may have very similar physical characteristics. For example, in a HP2500 color laser printer, there are four separate toner cartridges containing black and colored (magenta, cyan, and yellow) toner. The physical differences between the black, magenta, cyan, and yellow toner cartridges for the HP2500 color laser printer are relatively minor. The HP2500 color laser printer toner cartridge manufacturer has installed a protrusion in a unique location on one of the ends of each toner cartridge of a respective color to distinguish each toner cartridge of a respective color from toner cartridges of other colors. Each protrusion mates with a corresponding recess in the HP2500 color laser printer's toner cartridge space. When a respective toner cartridge is inserted into the HP2500 color laser printer, the protrusion aligns with the recess allowing only the designated toner cartridge to be installed.
A typical toner cartridge comprises an assembled plastic housing. The material of the plastic housing may be molded plastic or another plastic composite. During the remanufacturing of the toner cartridge, the toner cartridge is disassembled, cleaned, refurbished, and reassembled. The last step of the refurbishment process includes refilling the toner cartridge with toner, and the toner cartridge is then repackaged. As part of the refurbishment process, the toner cartridge may be modified in order to remove any restriction regarding usage.
Additionally, some laser printers separate a toner storage function from an image transfer function. In these laser printers, toner is stored in a toner cartridge, and an imaging drum unit performs the image transfer function. In some laser printers, the imaging drum unit may be a field replaceable unit. Typically, the imaging drum unit comprises an Organic Photo Conductor (OPC) drum as well as various image transfer components. The imaging drum unit may also have certain physical characteristics unique to a particular printer model type or family. For example, the imaging drum unit for the HP2500 color laser printer and HP2550 color laser printer may be identical except for a protrusion or recess located on the endplates of the imaging drum unit.
The systems and methods are intended for use in removing a protrusion on an endplate of a toner cartridge to allow the modified toner cartridge to be used in different locations within the same printer or other printers.